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I don’t remember the specifics of what she said, but her words stirred something in my heart, and soon my brother and I were baptized.

Grandmother continued to sup-port us. I remember that anytime my brother or I was assigned to give a talk in church, we would call her on the telephone for some suggestions. Within a few days a handwritten talk would arrive by mail. After some time her suggestions changed to an outline requiring more effort on our part.

Grandmother used just the right amount of courage and respect to help our father recognize the impor-tance of his driving us to the church for our meetings. In every appropriate way, she helped us to feel a need for the gospel in our lives.

Most importantly, we knew Grandmother loved us and that she loved the gospel. She was a marvel-ous example! How grateful I am for the testimony she shared with me when I was very young. Her influence changed the direction of my life for eternal good.

Later, as I was about to graduate from the university, I fell in love with a beautiful young woman named

By Elder Richard G. ScottOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

As I have pondered my duty to share the gospel, I have reflected on loved ones whose

tender influence helped me find the divinely appointed path that aided my spiritual progression. At vital times in my life, Father in Heaven blessed me with someone who cared for me enough to help guide my choices in an appropriate direction. They observed these words of the Savior: “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” 1

When I was a young child, my father was not a member of the Church and my mother had become less active. We lived in Washington, D.C., and my mother’s parents lived 2,500 miles (4,000 km) away in the state of Washington. Some months after my eighth birthday, Grandmother Whittle came across the country to visit us. Grandmother was concerned that neither I nor my older brother had been baptized. I don’t know what she said to my parents about this, but I do know that one morning she took my brother and me to the park and shared with us her feelings about the importance of being baptized and attending Church meetings regularly.

“I Have Given You an Example”The greatest example who ever walked the earth is our Savior, Jesus Christ. . . . He invites us to follow His perfect example.

NOTES 1. When a baby is born, the umbilical cord is

doubly ligated and severed between those two ligatures. A ligature is a tie—a secure tie. The word religion comes from Latin roots: re, meaning “again” or “back to,” and likely ligare, meaning “to tie” or “to ligate.” Thus, we understand that religion “ties believers to God.”

2. Exodus 20:3. In addition, the Lord said, “Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn . . . from all your abominations” (Ezekiel 14:6).

3. Doctrine and Covenants 6:36. 4. See Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of

Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball (1982), 391.

5. See Mosiah 2:41; Doctrine and Covenants 58:30–33; 82:10. This principle is true for everyone, for “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34; see also Moroni 8:12).

6. Doctrine and Covenants 132:22. 7. See Leviticus 15:13. 8. 2 Timothy 3:7. 9. 1 Nephi 19:23. 10. Isaiah 5:20. 11. Scripture teaches: “Come unto the Lord,

the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name” (2 Nephi 9:41).

12. Thomas S. Monson, “Courage Counts,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 41. On another occasion, President Monson gave this inspiring admonition: “To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. . . . We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. . . . We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power, even the strength to live the commandments of God, the power to resist the temptations of Satan” (“Yellow Canaries with Gray on Their Wings,” Ensign, July 1973, 43).

13. “Deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32). Do not fear man more than God (see Doctrine and Covenants 3:7; 59:5).

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Jeanene Watkins. I thought she was beginning to have some deep feelings for me also. One night when we were talking about the future, she carefully wove into the discussion a statement that changed my life forever. She said, “When I marry, it will be to a faithful returned missionary in the temple.”

I hadn’t thought much about a mis-sion before then. That night my moti-vation to consider missionary service changed dramatically. I went home, and I could think of nothing else. I was awake all night long. I was com-pletely distracted from my studies the next day. After many prayers I made the decision to meet with my bishop and begin my missionary application.

Jeanene never asked me to serve a mission for her. She loved me enough to share her conviction and then gave me the opportunity to work out the direction of my own life. We both served missions and later were sealed in the temple. Jeanene’s courage and commitment to her faith have made all the difference in our lives together. I am certain we would not have found the happiness we enjoy without her strong faith in the principle of serving the Lord first. She is a wonderful, righ-teous example!

Both Grandmother Whittle and Jeanene loved me enough to share their conviction that the ordinances of the gospel and serving Father in Heaven would bless my life. Neither of them coerced me or made me feel bad about the person I was. They simply loved me and loved Father in Heaven. Both knew He could do more with my life than I could on my own. Each courageously helped me in lov-ing ways to find the path of greatest happiness.

How can each of us become such a significant influence? We must be sure to sincerely love those we want

to help in righteousness so they can begin to develop confidence in God’s love. For so many in the world, the first challenge in accepting the gospel is to develop faith in a Father in Heaven, who loves them perfectly. It is easier to develop that faith when they have friends or family members who love them in a similar way.

Giving them confidence in your love can help them develop faith in God’s love. Then through your loving, thoughtful communication, their lives will be blessed by your sharing lessons you have learned, experiences you have had, and principles you have followed to find solutions to your own struggles. Show your sincere interest

in their well-being; then share your testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You can help in ways that are grounded in principle and doctrine. Encourage those you love to seek to understand what the Lord would have them do. One way to do this is to ask them questions that make them think and then allow them sufficient time—whether hours, days, months, or more—to ponder and seek to work out the answers for themselves. You may need to help them know how to pray and how to recognize answers to their prayers. Help them to know that the scriptures are a vital source of receiving and recognizing answers. In that way you will help them

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prepare for future opportunities and challenges.

God’s purpose is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” 2 That is fundamental to all we do. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in things that we find fascinating or become so consumed by mun-dane responsibilities that we lose sight of God’s objectives. As you consistently focus your life on the most basic principles, you will gain an understanding of what you are to do, and you will produce more fruit for the Lord and more happiness for yourself.

When you focus your life on the basic principles of the plan of salva-tion, you will better concentrate on sharing what you know because you understand the eternal importance of the ordinances of the gospel. You will share what you know in a way that encourages your friends to want to be strengthened spiritually. You will help your loved ones want to commit to obey all of His commandments and take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ.

Remember that the conversion of individuals is only part of the work. Always seek to strengthen families. Teach with a vision of the importance of families being sealed in the temple. With some families it may take years.

This was the case with my parents. Many years after I was baptized, my father was baptized, and later my family was sealed in the temple. My father served as a sealer in the temple, and my mother served there with him. When you have the vision of the sealing ordinances of the temple, you will help build the kingdom of God on earth.

Remember, loving them is the pow-erful foundation for influencing those you want to help. The influence of my Grandmother Whittle and my wife, Jeanene, would have been negligible had I not first known that they loved me and wanted me to have the best in life.

As a companion to that love, trust them. In some cases it may seem difficult to trust, but find some way to trust them. The children of Father in Heaven can do amazing things when they feel trusted. Every child of God in mortality chose the Savior’s plan. Trust that given the opportunity, they will do so again.

Share principles that help those you love to press forward along the path to eternal life. Remember, we all grow line upon line. You have followed that same pattern in your understanding of the gospel. Keep your sharing of the gospel simple.

Your personal testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is a pow-erful tool. Accompanying resources are prayer, the Book of Mormon and the other scriptures, and your commit-ment to priesthood ordinances. All of these will facilitate the direction of the Spirit, which is so crucially important for you to rely upon.

To be effective and to do as Christ has done,3 concentrate on this basic principle of the gospel: the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes possible our becoming more like our Father in Heaven so that we can live together eternally in our family units.

There is no doctrine more fun-damental to our work than the Atonement of Jesus Christ. At every

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commandments given in the gospel.4Jesus taught us to obey in simple

language that is easy to understand: “If ye love me, keep my command-ments,” 5 and “Come, follow me.” 6

When we are baptized, we “take upon [us] the name of Christ” and enter “into the covenant with God that [we will] be obedient unto the end of [our] lives.” 7 Each Sunday we renew that baptismal covenant by partaking of the sacrament and witnessing that we are willing to keep the command-ments. We seek forgiveness for any thoughts, feelings, or actions that are not in harmony with our Heavenly Father’s will. As we repent by turn-ing away from disobedience and by beginning to obey again, we show our love for Him.

Types of ObedienceAs we live the gospel, we progress

in our understanding of obedience. At times we may be tempted to practice what I call “natural man’s obedience,” in which we disobediently reject God’s law in favor of our wisdom or our desires or even popularity. Because this is widely practiced by so many, this perversion of obedience

By Elder Robert D. HalesOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Brothers and sisters, of all the lessons we learn from the life of the Savior, none is more clear

and powerful than the lesson of obedience.

The Savior’s ExampleIn the premortal Council in Heaven,

Lucifer rebelled against Heavenly Father’s plan. Those who followed Lucifer ended their eternal progression —be careful who you follow!

Then Jesus expressed His com-mitment to obey, saying, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.” 1 Throughout His ministry, “he suffered temptations but gave [them] no heed.” 2 Indeed, “he [learned] obedience by the things which he suffered.” 3

Because our Savior was obedient, He atoned for our sins, making possi-ble our resurrection and preparing the way for us to return to our Heavenly Father, who knew we would make mistakes as we learned obedience in mortality. When we obey, we accept His sacrifice, for we believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obe-dience to the laws, ordinances, and

“If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments”Using our agency to obey means choosing to “do what is right [and letting] the consequence follow.”

appropriate opportunity, testify of the Savior and of the power of His Atoning sacrifice. Use scriptures that teach of Him and why He is the per-fect pattern for everyone in life.4 You will need to study diligently. Do not become so absorbed with trivial things that you miss learning the doctrine and teachings of the Lord. With a solid, personal doctrinal foundation, you will be a powerful source for sharing vital truths with others who desperately need them.

We best serve our Father in Heaven by righteously influencing others and serving them.5 The greatest example who ever walked the earth is our Savior, Jesus Christ. His mortal ministry was filled with teaching, serving, and loving others. He sat down with indi-viduals who were judged to be unwor-thy of His companionship. He loved each of them. He discerned their needs and taught them His gospel. He invites us to follow His perfect example.

I know that His gospel is the path to peace and happiness in this life. May we remember to do as He has done by sharing our love, trust, and knowledge of truth with others who have not yet embraced the brilliant light of the gospel. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. ◼

NOTES 1. John 13:15. 2. Moses 1:39. 3. See John 13:15. 4. See, for example, Luke 22:39–46; John

8:3–11; Philippians 4:13; James 5:15–16; 1 John 1:7; 2 Nephi 1:15; 2; 25:17–30; 31; Jacob 4; Alma 7; 42; 3 Nephi 11–30; Moroni 10:32–33; Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–16; 19:13–19; 29:3; 88:1–13; 138:2–4; Moses 5:6–12.

5. See Matthew 22:35–40; Mosiah 2:17.

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